The present invention relates generally to medical devices and more particularly to a device for closing a wound, such as a percutaneous access site.
Minimally invasive medical procedures have become common in the medical profession due to the lower risk and trauma associated with minimally invasive procedures and the lower cost compared to open surgical procedures. Minimally invasive procedures generally involve gaining access to an organ of a patient by puncturing the patient's skin, intermediate tissues between the skin and the organ, and the wall of the organ. An elongate medical instrument may then be inserted through the access site so that the distal end of the medical instrument is located within the patient's internal anatomy, while the proximal end of the medical instrument remains outside the patient's body. The physician may then manipulate the proximal end of the medical instrument outside the patient's body to move and orient the distal end of the medical instrument to a location within the vessel where treatment is needed. Thus, an internal treatment site within a patient's anatomy may be treated from outside the patient's body through a relatively small access site that is located some distance from the treatment site. By contrast, conventional open surgical procedures would require opening the tissues immediately adjacent the treatment site so that the surgeon can gain direct access to the treatment site.
After a minimally invasive procedure is completed, the elongate medical instrument and related devices are removed from the patient through the access site. However, at the conclusion of the procedure, an open percutaneous wound is left at the access site. Typically, percutaneous wounds created during minimally invasive procedures are closed using a staple, suture or other permanent or semi-permanent implantation, or by using direct pressure to provide hemostasis. Although conventional wound closure devices exist, the inventor believes it would be desirable to provide an improved wound closure device that uses a suture to close a wound.